Geoege c



(No Model.)

SIGNAL LANTERN.

s, S L a M d DUI. m 2

my 0a PF 7 3 0 8}. 3. Tim 3F N WITNESSES INVENTOR S ATTORNEY N4 PETERS. PhoIu-Lilhngmphcr. Washington. D a

Uivrran Sitar-as ArsNr @rtrhs.

GEORGE C. DRESSEL, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

SlGNAL=LANTERN.

SIT'ICAI'ZON forming part of Letters Patent No. 313,303, dated March 3, 1885.

Application filed February 19, 1884.

I hand or post lantern of the kind used by railthe base.

road-employs. The lantern is constructed so that lights of different colors may be displayed by asimple revolution of a central frame carrying differently colored panes of glass. The lantern also possesses various other improvements, all of which are hereinafter pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view of my improved lantern. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the same, and Fig. 3 a top View with the cap removed.

The letter A represents the cylindrical body or case of a lantern, a being the top cap, and b c is the white bulls-eye. WVithin the upper part of case A is a cross-rod, (Z, having a central upright perforation, through which passes a shaft, 6. This shaft, which can be revolved in manner hereinafter specified, is connected by two radial arms, f, to a frame, B. The frame B consists of .four, more or less, uprights, 9, connected at their upper and lower ends by cross-rods h, so as to form-four, more or less, frames for receiving an equal number of glass panes. Of these panes I make one red, another green, a third blue, and the fourth white; but different colors may be used. At the lower end the frame Bis unsupported, and is provided with friction-rollers i,which, when the frame is revolved, travel along the inner side of case A, and thus serve to keep the frame in proper central position.

In order to revolve frame B,the shaft 6 is provided at its upper end with an enlargement having two shoulders, j j, and having downwardly-extending triangular lugs 7c and upwardly-extending lugs k. The points of these lugs are arranged alternately, as shown, so that a zigzag path is left between them. Into this path enters one end of a spring-lever, Z, pivoted to frame A, the other end of the lever being provided with a suitable thumb-piece. mm

are springs attached at opposite ends to frame A,and pressing with their free ends upon lever Z. \Vhen the operator presses on thumb-piece (N0 model.)

of lever Z, the opposite end of such lever will run along one of the inclined sides of a lug, 7c,

and thus cause the shaft e to make a short turn.

The pressure on lever Z being released, the springs in will force the lever down along one of theinelined sides of lugs 7.:,and thus another short turn ofshaft 6 will be effected. As many lugs 75 and as many lugs It should of course be employed as there are sides in frame 13. With the construction shown the-hand-pressure on leverZ will cause one-eighth revolution of shaft 0, and the spring-pressure causes, also, aoneeighth revolution, so that the entire motion will be a quarter-revolution, or sufficient tobring a new pane in line with the bulls-eye.

To thebase b of the lantern is rigidly attached the oil-reservoira of the lamp. Around base Z) is an upwardly extending flange, 0, into which the body A sets, and to which it is locked by a bayonet-joint or otherwise. Through the body a of the reservoir I make two tubular airpassages, 12 12, extending from the top to and through the bottom of base b. This base has a perforated downwardly-extending flange, q, as shown. In this way the air necessary for the combustion passes through the perforated flange q, and thence through the air-passages p. The reservoir n is preferably surrounded by a flange, a, and thus any leakage will escape through passages p below the base b, and will thus be prevented from soiling the clothes.

8 is a handle to be used when the lantern is to be used as a swinging signal. It passes through two perforated lugs, it, and is provided at its ends with outwardly turned snap-hooks a. When pulled out, the hooks will engage the lugs, and the handle is extended far above the lantern. \Vhen the handle sis notto be used, it is pushed down, as in Fig. 1, so that the arms of the handle pass through the lugs.

The ordinary handle, 10, should be placed directly below the thumb-piece of lever Z; but when the lantern is to be used as a post-signal the handle 10 is supplanted by a rod and slide.

A reflector, 1, may be used behind the burner, if desired.

I prefer to make the panes in frame B straight, and use them in connection with the ordinary convex bulls-eye, c, as I have found that the best light is obtained in this manner.

The use of the lantern is extremely simple.

The frame B is revolved by lever Z until the desired colored pane is brought between the bullseye and the flame.

I am aware that a sliding bail is described in Patent No. 17,163, granted to J. W. Masury, April 28, 1857, and do not claim the construction shown in said patent.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of case A, having convex bullseye o, with the revolving frame B, carrying straight panes of different colors, and with lamps placed on base of case A, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of case A with perforated cross-rod d, frame B, suspending shaft ii and friction-rollers i, substantially as speci- 3. The combination of case A with frame B, having arms f, uprights g, and cross-rods h, and with lever Z, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of case A, shaft 6, having shoulders jj, and lugs k is, forming a zigzag passage between them, and revolving frame B and lever Z, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of case A, revolving frame B, shaft 6, having lugs 75 70, forming the zigzag groove, lever l, and spring m, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of case A, frame B, shaft 6, having shoulders jj, and lugs 70 k, forming the zigzag groove, spring m, lever Z, and friction-rollers z, the frame B being unsupported solely from its top, substantially as specified.

7. The combination of case A, having perforated lugs 15, with swinging handles, having outwardly-turned snap-hooks u, the handle passing through the lugs when the snap-hooks are disengaged, substantially as herein shown and described.

GEO. C. DRESSEL. W'itnesses:

F. v. BRIESEN, Ronr. H. Roy. 

